Gob, the city’s own punk heroes, warmed up the crowd, which sang along to favourites like “Give Up the Grudge,” “Soda,” and “I Hear You Calling.” PUP, in from Toronto on their first arena tour—and sincerely expressing how thrilled they were to be sharing the stage with Gob and Sum 41, some of their formative inspirations—got the mosh pit going and crowd surfing with songs including brand new single “Paranoid” and “Totally Fine,” from 2022’s critically-acclaimed The Unraveling of PUPTheBand.

In between sets, Rogers Arena played hits from the bands’ peers—like Fall Out Boy, AFI, and Avril Lavigne—keeping the momentum alive for the audience, which saw fans of all ages wearing t-shirts spanning decades of all three bands’ history. 

Finally, Sum 41 hit the stage, opening with an explosive “Motivation.” The crowd was on their feet and the mosh pit was pulsing for the rest of the night. Deryck Whibley (vocals/guitar), Cone McCaslin (bass), Dave “Brownsound” Baksh (guitar), and Frank Zummo (drums) poured tons of energy and gratitude into a career-spanning set, as Whibley thanked the “Sum 41 family” for sticking by them through all the highs and lows since the band’s formation in Ajax, Ontario in 1996. 

They played almost everything from across their prolific catalogue, from the earliest songs like “Makes No Difference” and “Summer” to “Landmines” and “Dopamine” from their most recent album, 2024’s Heaven :x: Hell, and even the never-released-but-always-requested “Noots.” Pyrotechnics, confetti, and a giant inflatable skeleton mascot throwing their signature salute added to the celebratory spectacle. Whibley’s voice sounded better than ever—bright, powerful, and clear on both more rowdy songs like “We’re All to Blame” as well as emotional ballads like “Pieces,” which he began singing under a spotlight at the piano. 

The night ended with unforgettable performances of “Fat Lip” and “In Too Deep,” which had the entire arena jumping and singing along at the top of their lungs. Afterwards, the band stood on stage for a while with their arms around each other, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. 

While Sum 41 will be back in Vancouver in March for their well-deserved induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2025 Juno Awards, Saturday night was a heartfelt goodbye from a beloved band that has defined an era of music for generations of pop punk fans.